Notes: Primary and Secondary Sources Evaluation

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

  • Primary and secondary sources are essential for detailing significant historical events.
  • The primacy of primary sources is widely recognized because they typically provide more accurate historical details than secondary sources.

CREDIBILITY IN MODERN SOURCES

  • In the age of fake news, texts must be scrutinized for credibility before use.

CHALLENGES WITH ORAL HISTORY

  • In countries with limited documentation, tracing primary sources is difficult, impacting understanding of past events and their relevance to current social issues.

GARRAGHAN'S SIX INQUIRIES (1950)

  • DATE — When was it produced?
  • LOCALIZATION — Where did it originate?
  • AUTHORSHIP — Who wrote it?
  • ANALYSIS — What pre-existing material served as the basis for its production?
  • INTEGRITY — What was the original form?
  • CREDIBILITY — What is the evidential value of its content?

PRIMARY VS SECONDARY SOURCES

  • Absence of primary documents challenges historical accuracy; primary sources are limited in some fields.
  • Secondary sources are readily available in print and digital repositories.
  • Secondary accounts are narratives passed through generations and communities, and can be altered during transmission.
  • Secondary sources can fill gaps left by lack of primary sources, when used cautiously.

HOWELL & PREVENIER: THREE PRECONDITIONS FOR A SOURCE TO BE EVIDENCE

  • 1. Comprehensible at the most basic level of vocabulary, language, and handwriting.
  • 2. Located in place and time; note author/composer/writer and where produced/published to check authenticity.
  • 3. Authenticity must be checked and counter-checked before accepting as credible historical evidence.

INTERNAL CRITERIA (SEVEN FACTORS) — HOWELL & PREVENIER (2001)

  • 1) The genealogy of the document: development (original, copy, or copy of the copy).
  • 2) The Genesis of the document: production context (situations and authorities).
  • 3) The originality of the document: eye/ear witness vs. passing of existing information.
  • 4) The interpretation of the document: deducing meaning.
  • 5) The authorial authority of the document: relation between subject matter and author.
  • 6) The competence of the observer: author's capabilities and qualifications to report.
  • 7) The trustworthiness of the observer: integrity; whether the author fabricates or reports truthfully.

ACTIVITY 2

  • Read the undelivered arrival speech of Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. and answer the accompanying questions (group activity).

SUMMARY REMINDERS

  • Always compare primary and secondary sources.
  • Check the source’s date, origin, authorship, basis, and integrity.
  • Evaluate both external characteristics (Where/When/Who) and internal criteria (genesis, originality, interpretation, authority, competence, trustworthiness).